Millers boss ready for step up in quality

ROTHERHAM United manager Paul Warne is stepping up his preparations for the new League One season, starting with tonight's highly anticipated South Yorkshire derby.

Tonight's visitors Sheffield United, who are managed by former Miller Chris Wilder, are the toughest opponents so far on paper and know all about the third teir, having amassed 100 points on the way to the League One title last season.

Now the Championship new-boys come the the AESSEAL New York Stadium (7.45pm) looking to end Rotherham's five game pre-season winning streak.

Warne said: "I'm trying to treat Sheffield United like a league game in our preparation, thinking how they might play.

"We're in a good place, we've won five on the trot, we're not conceding many goals but we've not played as good an opposition as possible. We're trying to build things up."

The positive start to pre-season has left no doubt in the players' minds that they are heading in the right direction, but Warne is aware that not all of the squad can be selected come the August 5 opener at Fleetwood.

He added: "At the moment everyone is buying into it but I appreciate that when the season starts and we name our first squad that a few people will be disappointed.

"Then again we have something like 15 games in the first two months, which is a phenomenal amount. I'll be using every single player in that time so they will all have an opportunity if they don't get one in the first games to get on the pitch and prove they should be in the team."